The importance of early claims notification

In one scenario, the cost of crashing into a stationary vehicle costs £5000. In another, it’s £20,000. What’s the difference?

It’s not a different insurer, or vehicle, or even the addition of an uninsured driver, but the time taken to notify the insurer of the claim which can cause such a jump in costs.

By putting off speaking to your insurer about an accident that was your fault, you could be postponing the repair of both vehicles, reimbursing medical costs and pushing the incident towards a legal team. Suddenly a situation that could have been solved quickly and simply is going to take much longer, cause huge inconvenience to yourself and others involved, and will likely push up your premium considerably.

On the other hand, by notifying your insurer or broker immediately of an accident, you might expect, depending on your policy:

To have your car seen to for repair quickly, with a courtesy car to get you back on the road in the meantime

A faster response from all parties, as information needed to bring about a claim’s settlement is recent and therefore clearer

A stronger position to make enquiries if there’s a question of fault and responsibility

C&M can manage claims made on a policy taken out through us from the moment you contact us.

However, there will be times when this is outside our office hours, in which case your policy will always have a claims line contact number to put you in direct contact with your insurance providers.

We only use trusted insurers who we know will get to work on any claims presented to them as quickly as possible. By giving them as much information as you can, you and any other third parties involved can expect a resolution much faster, and minimise the risk of one claim significantly impacting your premium costs in the future.

If you have any questions regarding our claims process at C&M Insurance or are not sure of your insurer’s contact details, please get in touch by calling 01708 764 000 or emailing mail@cm-insurance.co.uk.